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Cancer Facts for
Women
Breast cancer
Some of the cancers that most often affect
women are breast, colon, endometrial, lung,
cervical, skin, and ovarian cancers. Knowing
about these cancers and what you can do to
help prevent them or find them early (when
they are small and easier to treat) may help
save your life.
Visit our website, www.cancer.org, or call
our toll-free number, 1-800-227-2345, to
get more details on our cancer screening
guidelines or to learn more about what
you can do to help reduce your risk of
getting cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer that women
may face in their lifetime (except for skin cancer). It can
occur at any age, but the risk goes up as you get older.
Because of certain factors, some women may have a
greater chance of having breast cancer than others. But
every woman should know about breast cancer and what
can be done about it.
What you can do
The best defense is to find breast cancer early – when it’s
small, has not spread, and is easier to treat. Finding breast
cancer early is called “early detection.” The American
Cancer Society recommends the following for breast
cancer early detection:
Women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start
annual breast cancer screening with mammograms if they
wish to do so.
Women ages 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.
Women 55 and older should switch to mammograms
every 2 years, or can continue yearly screening.
Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good
health and is expected to live at least 10 more years.
All women should be familiar with the known benefits,
limitations, and potential harms linked to breast cancer
screening. They should also be familiar with how their
breasts normally look and feel and report any changes to
a health care provider right away.
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Some women at high risk for breast cancer –
because of their family history, a genetic tendency, or
certain other factors – should be screened with MRIs
along with mammograms. (The number of women who
fall into this category is very small.) Talk with a health
care provider about your risk for breast cancer and the
best screening plan for you.
Colon cancer
Most colon cancers (cancers of the colon or rectum) are
found in people age 50 or older. People with a personal
or family history of this cancer, or who have polyps
in their colon or rectum, or those with inflammatory
bowel disease are more likely to have colon cancer.
Also, being overweight, eating a diet mostly of high-fat
foods (especially from animal sources), smoking, and
being inactive can make a person more likely to have
this cancer.
What you can do
Colon cancer almost always starts with a polyp – a
small growth on the lining of the colon or rectum.
Testing can help save lives by finding polyps before they
become cancer. If pre-cancerous polyps are removed,
colon cancer can be prevented.
For people at average risk, the American Cancer Society
recommends getting one of the following tests starting
at age 50:
Tests that find polyps and cancer
• F lexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years*, or
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• Colonoscopy every 10 years, or
• Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years*, or
• CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years*
Tests that mostly find cancer
• Yearly guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT)**,
or
• Yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT)**, or
• Stool DNA test (sDNA), every 3 years*
*If the test is positive, a colonoscopy should be done.
** The multiple stool take-home method should be used.
One test done by the doctor is not enough. A
colonoscopy should be done if the test is positive.
The tests that are designed to find both early cancer
and polyps should be your first choice if these tests are
available to you and you’re willing to have one of them.
Talk to a health care provider about which test is best
for you.
If you’re at high risk of colon cancer based on family
history or other factors, you may need to be tested at a
younger age with colonoscopy. Talk to a health care
provider about your risk for colon cancer to know when
you should start testing.
Endometrial cancer
Endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus)
occurs most often in women age 55 and older. Taking
estrogen without progesterone and taking tamoxifen
for breast cancer treatment or to lower breast cancer
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risk can increase a woman’s chance for this cancer.
Having an early onset of menstrual periods, late
menopause, a history of infertility, or not having
children can increase the risk, too. Women with a
personal or family history of hereditary non-polyposis
colon cancer (HNPCC) or polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS), or those who are obese are also more likely to
have endometrial cancer.
What you can do
The American Cancer Society recommends that at the
time of menopause, all women should be told about
the risks and symptoms of endometrial cancer. Watch
for symptoms, such as unusual spotting or bleeding not
related to menstrual periods, and report these to a
health care provider. The Pap test is very good at
finding cancer of the cervix, but it’s not a test for
endometrial cancer.
The American Cancer Society also recommends that
women who have or are likely to have hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) be offered yearly testing
with an endometrial biopsy by age 35. This applies to
women known to carry HNPCC-linked gene mutations,
women who are likely to carry such mutations (those
who know the mutation runs in their families), and
women from families with a tendency to get colon
cancer where genetic testing has not been done.
Lung cancer
At least 8 out of 10 lung cancer deaths are thought to
result from smoking. But people who don’t smoke can
also have lung cancer.
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What you can do
Lung cancer is one of the few cancers that can often be
prevented simply by not smoking. If you are a smoker,
ask a health care provider to help you quit. If you don’t
smoke, don’t start, and avoid breathing in other people’s
smoke. If your friends and loved ones are smokers, help
them quit. For help quitting, call your American Cancer
Society at 1-800-227-2345 to find out how we can help
improve your chances of quitting for good.
Certain women at high risk for lung cancer may want to
talk to a health care provider about whether getting
yearly low-dose CT scans to test for early lung cancer is
right for them. Testing may benefit adults who are
current or former smokers between the ages of 55 and
74 who are in good health and who have a 30 packyear smoking history. (A pack-year is 1 pack of
cigarettes per day per year. One pack per day for 30
years or 2 packs per day for 15 years would both be 30
pack-years.) You should discuss the benefits, limitations,
and risks of lung cancer testing with a health care
provider before testing is done.
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer can affect any woman who is or has
been sexually active. It occurs in women who have had
the human papilloma virus (HPV). This virus is passed on
during sex. Cervical cancer is also more likely in women
who smoke, have HIV or AIDS, have poor nutrition, and
who do not get regular Pap tests.
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should not be tested.
What you can do
A Pap test can find changes in the cervix that can
be treated before they become cancer. The Pap test is
also very good at finding cervical cancer early, when it
can often be cured. The American Cancer Society
recommends the following:
• Cervical cancer testing should start at age 21.
Women under age 21 should not be tested.
•W
omen between the ages of 21 and 29 should
have a Pap test done every 3 years. There’s also a
test called the HPV test. HPV testing should not be
used in this age group unless it’s needed after an
abnormal Pap test result.
•W
omen between the ages of 30 and 65 should
have a Pap test plus an HPV test (called “co-testing”)
done every 5 years. This is the preferred approach,
but it’s also OK to have a Pap test alone every 3 years.
• Women over age 65 who have had regular cervical
cancer testing in the past 10 years with normal
results should not be tested for cervical cancer. Once
testing is stopped, it should not be started again.
Women with a history of a serious cervical precancer should continue to be tested for at least 20
years after that diagnosis, even if testing continues
past age 65.
•A
woman who has had a total hysterectomy
(removal of her uterus and her cervix) for
reasons not related to cervical cancer and who has
no history of cervical cancer or serious pre-cancer
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• A woman who has been vaccinated against
HPV should still follow the screening
recommendations for her age group.
Some women – because of their history – may need to
be tested more often. They should talk to a health care
provider about their history.
Skin cancer
Anyone who spends time in the sun can get skin
cancer. People with fair skin, especially those with blond
or red hair, are more likely to get skin cancer than
people with darker coloring. People who have had a
close family member with melanoma and those who
had bad sunburns as children are more likely to get skin
cancer.
What you can do
Most skin cancers can be prevented by limiting
exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun and other
sources like tanning beds. When outside, try to stay in
the shade, especially during the middle of the day. If
you’re going to be in the sun, wear hats with brims,
long-sleeve shirts, sunglasses, and use broad-spectrum
sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher on all exposed
skin. If you have children, protect them from the sun
and don’t let them get sunburned. Do not use tanning
beds or lamps.
Be aware of all moles and spots on your skin, and
report any changes to a health care provider right away.
Have a skin exam done during your regular health
check-ups.
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Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is more likely to occur as women get
older. Women who have never had children, who have
unexplained infertility, or who had their first child after
age 30 may be at increased risk for this cancer. Women
who have used estrogen alone as hormone
replacement therapy are also at increased risk. Women with a personal or family history of hereditary
non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC), ovarian cancer, or
breast cancer are more likely to have this disease. But
women who don’t have any of these conditions can
still get ovarian cancer.
What you can do
At this time, there are no good tests for finding ovarian
cancer early. A Pap test does not find ovarian cancer.
But there are some tests that might be used in women
who have a high risk of ovarian cancer. You should see
a health care provider right away if you have any of
these symptoms for more than a few weeks:
•A
bdominal (belly) swelling
•D
igestive problems (including gas, loss of appetite,
and bloating)
•A
bdominal or pelvic pain
• F eeling like you need to urinate (pee) all the time
A pelvic exam should be part of a woman’s regular
health exam. Also talk to a health care provider about
your risk for ovarian cancer and whether there are tests
that may be right for you.
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The best defense against cancer
Doing what you can to prevent cancer is your
best defense. Knowing about cancer and
what you can do to help reduce your risk of
it can help save your life.
The next key is early detection. Finding
cancer early, before it has spread, gives you
the best chance to do something about it.
Take control of your health, and
reduce your cancer risk.
• S tay away from tobacco.
• Get to and stay at a healthy weight.
•G
et moving with regular physical activity.
• E at healthy with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Limit how much alcohol you drink (if you drink at all).
• P rotect your skin.
• Know yourself, your family history, and your risks.
•H
ave regular check-ups and cancer screening tests.
Visit us online at www.cancer.org or call us anytime,
day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 to learn more about
what you can do to help reduce your cancer risk and
to get answers to your cancer questions.
Written September 2015
©2009, American Cancer Society, Inc. No. 200700 Rev. 9/15
Models used for illustrative purposes only.